Review: Dell T105 Server

In early July 2008, I purchased a Dell T105 small business server to host some simple single-page webs.  It was my intention to use it as a web front end server for 12-18 months, then demote it to a simple fileshare.

Here is my review of the Dell T105 Server:

Configuration:

  • Dual-core AMD Opteron @ 1.8MHz
  • 4 GIG 800MHz RAM
  • 2x 250G SATA HDDs, no RAID
  • 1x 100mb NIC
  • No OS

My Enhancements:

  • Windows Server 2003 Enterprise
  • AVG Network Edition

PROS:

  • Quiet Machine. This is one you can easily keep in the open office, not in a rack or closet. (it’s a desktop by the way)  The HDDs are cheap and make TONS of noise when utilized.
  • The machine is quite quick to boot, even with SQL server, IIS, AVG, and Active Directory running.  Boot takes about 2 minutes, which for a server is pretty good.
  • The two 250G hard drives are plenty of space for my web front ends, a SQL server, and IIS logs of my heavy traffic websites.  The drawback is that I didn’t get RAID as I knew I was supposed to…  Next time.
  • Inexpensive. I paid just under $700 for my configuration, and it comes with a 3 year warranty.

CONS:

  • I purchased my machine without RAID, and with a DVD-ROM for installation media, I only have 3 SATA ports available for HDDs, and no onboard RAID to use.  Dell offered a RAID controller, multiple in fact, and I should have purchased one.
  • No Gigabit NIC.  Again, Dell has this upgrade option, I simply didn’t utilize it.
  • Operating system upgrades weren’t competitively priced.  I could purchase the license for Server 2003 for about $300 cheaper than Dell was offering.

Verdict:

The Dell T105 Server (Dell T-105) is an extremely good choice for small 20-30 person offices or those who wish to host multiple websites with 4000-10000 hits per day.  If you want a system that will last you 5+ years, this one is not it. The HDDs are consumer class and the ventilation isn’t going to keep the parts happy for 5 years.  If you keep this system in a well ventilated area and patch it regularly, it will give you excellent performance at an affordable price.

Find the Dell T105 on the CHEAP!

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